RAIPUR: During the ongoing sacred month of Ramadan, when Muslims engage in observing fast, a former well-known hockey player devotes his time with his small team of youths to reach out to those who keep fast staying in hospitals while enduring challenging or difficult situations and provide them with Sehri (before sunrise meal) and Iftar (after sunset food) daily.
Nauman Akram's Raipur-based welfare group believes that a large segment of the Muslim population may not be blessed with enough foodstuffs and provisions since they usually have little except to work hard to make ends meet during Ramadan month.
Akram, also a former national hockey umpire, has chosen hospitals and passengers terminals to extend the help by offering food, water/juices as a moral responsibility to the fasting people who are away from their homes and essentially need the support that brings them some solace during the pious month.
“We visit big hospitals like Raipur AIIMS, Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar hospitals among others to distribute small food bags among the patients and their fasting families. We also interact with Muslim travellers. The food packets are prepared by us daily. The distressed relatives of patients or the travellers in buses or elsewhere are already in demanding situations. So, any small support raises their morale and brings them some comfort”, he said. Hospitals usually do not have a good canteen or available food choices.
Akram also solicits assistance from various Muslim groups through social media to lend a helping hand for his noble task. “Sehri particularly remains much in demand as finding the food post-midnight is really a major problem for the fasting people in hospitals or any passenger. So we prepare and distribute it by 3 am”, he added.
The menu of Sehri usually comprised chapatis, egg curry or bhurji, biryani and fruits. Similarly, iftar food contains dates, fruits, samosa, baked items, juices among others.
The religious scholars appreciated the benevolent service citing that the month of Ramadan is also about compassion for others, caring for the needy and sharing with empathy.